Heel protector for ladies&#39; shoes



Sept. 25, 1956 L. KAYS ETAL HEEL PROTECTOR FOR LADIES SHOES Filed Sept. 50, 1953 iii/mm Kags & fmm? 6.444991% IN V EN TORS ATTR/VEY Patented Sept. 25, 19565 ice 2,763,938 HEEL PROTECTOR FUR LADES SHOES Lillian Kays and Irene G. Alpern, Youngstown, Ohio Application deptemher 3t 1953, Serial No. 383,272 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-72) This invention relates to heel protectors and particularly to a tailored heel protector for ladies shoes.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a heel protector for ladies shoes to protect the heels thereof from scufiing and wearing as occasioned by driving an automobile, etc.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a heel protector for ladies shoes which may be quickly and easily positioned on the heels and secured by convenient ties and conveniently and quickly removed therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a heel protector for ladies shoes incorporating a rib section along their points of greatest wear.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a heel protector for a ladys shoe formed of yieldable material so as to closely fit the heel of the shoe when installed and present an attractive appearance.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved efficient heel protector for ladies shoes, so constructed that the upper portion of the heel protector overlies only a relatively small lower portion of the shoe upper adjoining the upper edge of the heel and does not detract from the appearance of the shoe.

The heel protector for ladies shoes disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art in that a heel protector of tailored form and shape is disclosed which in position on the heel of a shoe presents an attractive appearance and eliminates the bulky appearance heretofore associated with similar devices.

Additionally, the heel protector disclosed herein is formed of a yieldable material and so designed that when fastened in place on a shoe, the means securing it act to shape it to the particular shape of the heel upon which it is installed so that it conforms generally to the'outline of the heel.

it is well known that ladies shoes and particularly high heeled shoes, are frequently provided with heels incorporating ornamental surface finishes of various types and styles and that such finishes are incapable of withstanding wear and abrasion as occurs when an automobile is driven by the wearer.

The heel protectors disclosed herein eifectively cover the heels, may be easily attached and easily removed and will retain their position when installed by the use of ties provided which also cause the protectors to conform to the shape of heels.

Additionally, the heel protectors are designed with a double folded vertical seam along their back portions which, in addition to contributing to the shape of the heel protector, provides a triple thickness of material in the manner of a wide rib which receives the wear and sculf and thereby protects the heel and remainder of the heel protector itself.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed,

it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw ing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a ladys shoe showing a heel protector in place thereon.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the heel protector.

Figure 3 is a view of the heel protector during the formation thereof.

Figure 4 is an end view of the portion of the heel proteeter shown in Figure 3.

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it will be seen that a ladys shoe is generally indicated by the numeral 10 and is provided with a heel 11 of conventional size and shape which in turn is provided with the usual lift 12.

The fragmentary view of the shoe as shown in Figure l of the drawings is that of a ladys shoe with a high heel construction such as is commonly scratched, worn or scuffed when the person wearing the shoes operates an automobile.

The heel 11, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, is almost completely enveloped in a heel protector 13 formed of pliable material and preferably one of the plastic films known in the art which, in addition to being tough, are relatively resilient and capable of being sewed or heat sealed.

The heel protector 13 comprises a section of material formed into a semi-conical shape with both the upper and the lower ends of the shape open and the rearmost portion provided with a vertical seam incorporating a doubling of the material as at 14. A joining seam, which may be either sewn or heat sealed as desired, is indicated by the numeral 15 and is oppositely disposed with respect to the double seam id, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The relatively small opening in the lower end of the heel protector is hemmed as at 16 and a similar hem forms a finished upper edge 17. The hems l6 and 17 may be sewn or heat sealed, as desired.

By referring to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be observed that the conical shape of the heel protector is achieved by the general pattern of the blank from which the heel protector is formed, as disclosed in Figure 3, and more importantly by the arrangement of the doubled seam 14 which takes the form of a wide rib on the back surface of the heel protector. As shown in the drawing, our improved heel protector has a relatively narrow transversely extending upper marginal front portion to engage the shank of the shoe directly adjoining the upper breast portion of the heel, and it has an upper generally lune shaped section of a width to fit over only a relatively small lower portion of the shoe upper adjoining the upper edge of the heel of the shoe, said upper generally lune shaped section extending from the ends of the upper transverse shank engaging portion around the side and back edges of the heel engaging part of the protector.

The heel protector is provided with a pair of flexible ties 18-18 which are each sewn or otherwise suitably secured at one end to the generally lune shaped upper section of the protector near one end of the latter at a point near to one end of the front transverse shank enga ing portion. The ties lid-18 secured at the points mentioned are capable of desirably shaping the heel protector when the same is pulled into position over the heel with the foremost portion thereof engaged against the instep of the shoe 10 and the rearmost portion thereof covering the lower portion of the back of the shoe above the heel 1'1.

By referring now to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the heel protector 13 is formed from a section of material, the upper lower edges of which are arcuate and the center section of which is doubled on a transverse line to form the seam 1d. The upper and lower edges are subsequently hemmed as at 17 and 16, respectively, and the outer ends of the section of material joined by the seam 15, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawmg.

It will thus be seen that the heel protector disclosed herein comprises a protector of a shape closely corresponding with that of a customary high heel of a ladys shoe and that additionally it has an uppermost edge portion which is arcuate along the sides thereofto a point where the ties 18 extend outwardly therefrom and it thus protects both the heel and the lower portion of the shoe adjacent the heel when in position thereover. More importantly, the positioning of the ties 18 is such that slight pressure thereon tends to shape the heel protector causing it to conform more closely to the configuration of the heel 11 on the shoe as the pressure pulls the side and back portions of the heel protector, and particularly the central area thereof, inwardly and upwardly and thereby causes the same to conform to the concave shape of the heel 11.

Simultaneously, a similar shaping action occurs on the upper front portion of the heel protector and it therefore conforms more closely to the portion of the heel 11 of the shoe 10 at the instep thereof than would otherwise be the case.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that a modified form of the heel protector disclosed herein may comprise a heel protector as disclosed without the ties 18 and wherein the relatively small opening in the lower end of the heel protector hemmed as at 16 is of a suthciently small diameter to snugly engage the heel immediately above the lift 12 and wherein the material of the heel protector is sufficiently stifi so that the remainder of the heel protector will not fold downwardly upon itself.

Heel protectors formed in accordance with the modification may be pulled into position by applying upward pressure on the same points on the sides thereof as those to which the ties are afiixed in the preferred embodiment of the invention with the result that the heel protector will cling to the heel and be prevented from accidental removal therefrom by the relatively tight fit of the hem 16 as hereinbefore described. 7

It will also'be seen that the heel protector disclosed herein may be economically formed and that a relatively few standard sizes and shapes would accommodate the majority of heels used on ladies shoes.

It will thus be seen that the heel protector for ladies shoes disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim is:

1. A shoe heel protector comprising a resilient tubular body member of progressively larger diameter from bottom to top constructed of relatively thin plastic material, said tubular body member having a main part adapted to snugly engage about the heel of a ladys shoe from the top to the bottom thereof, a relatively narrow transverse portion to engage the shank of the shoe directly adjoining the upper breast portion. of the heel, and said tubular member having an upper generally lune shaped section of a width to fit around and over only a relatively small lower portion of the shoe upper adjoining the upper edge of the heel of the shoe and leave the major part of the shoe upper above the heel exposed to View, said upper section of the tubular member extending from the ends.

of said upper transverse shank engaging portion around the side and back edges of the main heel engaging part with the widest part of said upper lune shaped section located at the back, the upper edge of said upper section of the tubular member being convex, an annular thickened portion extending completely around the upper marginal edge portion of the tubular member along the convexly curved upper edge portion of said upper lune shaped section and along said relatively narrow front shank engaging portion to tightly grip about the shank and shoe upper, and flexible cooperating tie members each secured at one end to said generally lune shaped upper section near one end thereof at a point near to one end of said front transverse shank engaging portion.

2. A shoe heel protector comprising a resilient tubular body member of progressively larger diameter from bottom to top constructed of relatively thin plastic material, said tubular body member having a main part adapted to snugly engage about the heel of a ladys shoe from the top to the bottom thereof, a relatively narrow transverse portion to engage the shank of the shoe directl adjoining the upper breast portion of the heel, and said tubular member having an upper generally lune shaped section of a width to fit around and over only a relatively small lower portion of the shoe upper adjoining the upper edge of the heel of the shoe and leave the major part of the shoe upper above the heel exposed to view, said upper section of the tubular member extending from the ends of said upper transverse shank engaging portion around the side and back edges of the mainheel engaging part with the widest part of said upper lune shaped section located at the back, the upper edge of said upper section of the tubular member being convex, an annular thickened portion extending completely around the upper marginal edge portion of the tubular member along the convexly curved upper edge portion of said upper lune shaped section and along said relatively narrow front shank engaging portion to tightly grip about the shank and shoe upper, and flexible cooperating tie members each secured at one end to said generally lune shaped upper section near one end thereof at a point near to one end of said front transverse shank engaging portion, said tubular member being provided with a double-folded seam of box pleat-like form providing two triple superposed layers of material extending side by side close together vertically centrally of the back of the tubular member from top to bottom of the same with the intermediate connecting layer of said pleat disposed at the outer side of the tubular member, said seam having its over lapping folds secured together and forming a thickened relatively wide fiat rib portion constituting stiffening means for the tubular member and also providing a protective scuff strip section for the thin tubular member projecting outwardly beyond the outer faces of the adjacent outer portions of the tubular member at both sides of said seam, and said tubular member having a seam extending vertically centrally of the front thereof opposite to the double folded seam at the rear of the tubular member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

